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Cal Poly men’s soccer team announced a competative schedule on Monday. IN SPORTS, 8
Volume LXXIII, Number 4
Thursday, July 16, 2009
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Legislation could bring $1 billion to higher ed Lauren Rabaino MUstaNG daiLY
Amid a $584 million budget deficit in the California State University system, an assemblyman is presenting legislation that, if passed, would bring a projected $1 billion in funds to state colleges and universities. The legislation, Assembly Bill 656, introduced by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) would put a 9.9 percent severance tax on oil and gas in California and give that money to California’s higher education system. Of the money, 60 percent would go to the CSU, 30 percent to the UC and 10 percent to the community college. Although early versions of the bill were intended to provide money toward renewable energy education, the most recent revision would direct money toward any and all facets of higher education — including new buildings, faculty pay, classes and more. “That change is a direct response to the 20 to 30 years of depleting funds for California public education,” said Lillian Taiz, a professor at Cal State Fullerton and president of the California Faculty Association, which helped write
the bill. Although money raised from the tax wouldn’t solve the CSU’s current budget deficit immediately, it would prevent a future deficit. “If it were in existence now, maybe we wouldn’t be talking about a 30 percent [student] fee increase,” Taiz said. “It’s not a total problem-solver ... but at a time like this, it would be a safety net.” To date, California is one of the few states in the U.S. that doesn’t already impose a severance tax on oil and gas companies for exporting the state’s fossil fuels — which has been a selling point for the bill. And California is not alone. Large oil-producing states like Pennsylvania and Iowa have no severance taxes on oil either. “The oil belongs to the state,” Torrico said. “It’s the people’s money, not the oil companies’.” This isn’t the first time legislation has been pursued to tax oil companies. Legislators have tried passing a severance tax in California dozens of times since 1930. However, Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the CFA, said that this time it’s different. “We think we’ve remedied the issues that have plagued this in the
Breakdown of funds from ab 656
past,” he said. For example, a provision in the bill makes it illegal to pass the severance costs onto taxpayers.” There is also a “make whole” provision to the bill to ensure that local municipalities don’t lose money.
Although there is not a California severance tax, that’s not to say that oil companies aren’t paying. California oil companies pay taxes to the state and local governments, corporation taxes, sales and use taxes and local property taxes, which constitute the sixth-heaviest
tax burden among the 10 largest producing states in the U.S., according to a 2009 report from Law and Economics Consulting Group (LECG). Ferguson said they’ve taken that fact into consideration. see Oil, page 2
California tax officials: Legal CSU cuts enrollment pot would bring $1.4 billion CFA struggles to vote Marcus Wohlsen associated press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A bill to tax and regulate marijuana in California would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue for the cash-strapped state, according to an official analysis released Wednesday by tax officials. The State Board of Equalization report estimates marijuana retail sales would bring $990 million from a $50-per-ounce fee and $392 million in sales taxes. The bill introduced by San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano in February would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess, grow and sell marijuana. Ammiano has promoted the bill as a way to help bridge the state’s $26.3 billion budget shortfall. “It defies reason to propose
closing parks and eliminating vital services for the poor while this potential revenue is available,” Ammiano said in a statement. The way the bill is written, the state could not begin collecting taxes until the federal government legalizes marijuana. A spokesman says Ammiano plans to amend the bill to remove that provision. The legislation requires all revenue generated by the $50-perounce fee to be used for drug education and rehabilitation programs. The state’s 9 percent sales tax would be applied to retail sales, while the fee would likely be charged at the wholesale level and built into the retail price. The Equalization Board used law enforcement and academic studies to calculate that about 16 million ounces — or 500 tons — of marijuana are consumed in California each year.
MUstaNG daiLY staFF report
Marijuana use would likely increase by about 30 percent once the law took effect because legalsee Marijuana, page 2
Enrollment Freeze The chancellor’s office announced July 9 in a press release that spring admission will be closed on all California State University (CSU) campuses in an effort to reduce the budget deficit. The CSU system typically admits around 35,000 students in spring. The chancellor’s office wants to reduce enrollment by a total of 40,000 students for the 20102011 academic year. Cal Poly will not be affected by the spring admission freeze because the university had not planned on admitting students for the winter or spring quarters. Enrollment cuts save the CSU system money because for every dollar that students pay in tuition, the state pays two, said Erik Fallis, a representative from the chancellor’s office.The Chancellor’s office
is also considering a 20 percent fee increase for students as well as furloughs that would cut salaries for staff, faculty and administrators. Furlough Vote The California Faculty Association started voting on whether or not to approve furloughs Monday and has encountered a few technical difficulties. Due to a software glitch not all faculty members received the link to cast their ballot online or the votes that were cast were not counted. CFA officers are re-running the election to make sure that all votes were counted and there is confidence in the results. In an email sent to CFA members, CFA officers said the company handling the online voting had fixed the error and explaining that all members that voted on the first link will need to recast them on the second.
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CIA hit teams canceled Adam Goldman associated press
WASHINGTON (AP) — As CIA director in 2004, George Tenet terminated a secret program to develop hit teams to kill al-Qaida leaders, but his successors resurrected the plan, according to former intelligence officials. Tenet ended the program because the agency could not work out its practical details, officials told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the classified program. Porter Goss, who replaced Tenet in 2005, restarted the program, the former officials said. By the time Michael Hayden succeeded Goss as CIA chief in 2006 the effort was again flagging because of practical challenges. CIA Director Leon Panetta drove the final stake into the effort in June after learning about the program. He called an emergency meeting with the House and Senate Intelligence committees the next day, informing lawmakers about the program and saying that as vice president Dick Cheney had directed the CIA not to inform Congress about the operation. The CIA declined to comment on the officials’ comments. One former senior intelligence official said Wednesday that the idea never quite died because it was a capability — the details of which remain classified — that the CIA want-
ed in its arsenal. But as time wore on, an official said, its need became less urgent. Another former official said that the CIA’s reliance on foreign intelligence services and on dronelaunched missile strikes proved over time to be less risky yet effective in targeting al-Qaida chiefs for death or capture. President George W. Bush authorized the killing of al-Qaida leaders in 2001. According to one congressional official, the agency spent more than $1 million over the eight years that the CIA considered launching the hit teams. The official would not detail the exact amount or how it was spent. The House Intelligence Committee is laying the groundwork for a possible investigation of the program and its concealment from Congress. In late June it asked the CIA to provide documents about the now-canceled program to kill al-Qaida leaders. Agency officials say it is complying with the request. Panetta has at the same time ordered a thorough internal review of the program. The committee will likely focus on how much was spent on the effort, whether any training was conducted and whether any officials traveled in association with the program, a congressional official said. Those factors would determine whether the program had progressed enough to require congressional notification.
News editor: Tim Miller, News Designer: Kasey Reed mustangdailynews@gmail.com daily Thursday, July 16, 2009
News Oil continued from page 1
“Obviously, it’s going to hurt them down the line, but we think that money will be much better spent going to education and making it more affordable,” Ferguson said. Rock Zierman, the CEO of the California Independent Petroleum Association, said a severance wouldn’t only hurt oil companies. “Studies show that this would cost 10,000 jobs,” Zierman said. “Those are jobs of 10,000 families in California that want to send their kids to higher education too. There are ramifications not just to the industry, but the people who work for it as well.” The study he referenced was released by the LECG and cites four reasons for a decrease in jobs as a result of the severance tax.
Marijuana continued from page 1
ization would lead to falling prices, the board said. Estimates of marijuana use, cultivation and sales are notoriously difficult to come by because of the drug’s status as a black-market substance. Calculations by marijuana advocates and law enforce-
First, production will decrease as a result of higher taxes, resulting in a job loss. Secondly, as those jobs disappear, so do indirect and induced jobs that depend on the oil sector. Third, the cost of doing business with oil companies in California will be more expensive, driving investment to other destinations. Lastly, households will consume less if they have to face higher costs. Taiz said that although a severance tax might hurt the oil companies, everyone has to make sacrifices in this economy. She said it was the “responsible” thing to do. “When I go to the pump, I can tell they’re doing well. They’re getting a lot from us,” she said. “They may think they’re paying enough, but we all think we’re paying enough.” CSU Reluctance to support “mystifies” faculty Erik Fallis, a CSU spokesman,
ment officials often differ widely. “That’s one reason why we look at multiple reports from multiple sources — so that no one agenda is considered to be the deciding or determining data,” said board spokeswoman Anita Gore. Advocates and opponents do agree that California is by far the country’s top pot-producing state. Last year law enforcement agencies in California seized nearly 5.3 million plants. If passed, Ammiano’s bill could increase the tension between the state and the U.S. government over marijuana, which is banned outright under federal law. The two sides have clashed often since state voters passed a ballot measure in 1996 legalizing marijuana for medical use. At the same time, some medical marijuana dispensary operators in the state have said they are less fearful of federal raids since U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department would defer to state marijuana regulations. Advocates pounced on the analysis as ammunition for their
said the chancellor’s office doesn’t have a position on the bill yet — a stance that frustrates Torrico and members of the CFA. “I’m dumbfounded,” Torrico said. “It seems to me if anyone supports the bill it should be the CSU administration, since they’re going to raise fees again.” Torrico said the timing of CSU’s projected deficit of $584 million poses the perfect opportunity for the passage of AB 656. “The state is spending more on prisons than education,” Torrico said. “It’s time for us to reverse that trend.” Torrico and the CFA presented information about AB 656 at two trustee meetings, yet CSU leaders have yet to schedule even a discussion of the bill. “I think we all feel it’s only logical that the head of the system would want to embrace legislation that would help us through these embattled times,” Taiz said.
claim that the ban on marijuana is obsolete. “We can’t borrow or slash our way out of this deficit,” said Stephen Gutwillig, California state director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “The legislature must consider innovative sources of new revenue, and marijuana should be at the top of that list.” Ammiano’s bill is still in committee. Hearings on the legislation are expected this fall. Also Wednesday, three Los Angeles City Council members proposed taxing medical marijuana to help close the city’s budget gap. Council members Janice Hahn, Dennis Zine and Bill Rosendahl backed a motion asking city finance officials to explore taxing the drug. Hahn said that with more than 400 dispensaries operating in the city, the tax could generate significant revenue. The motion pointed out that a proposed tax increase on medical marijuana in Oakland, which has only four dispensaries, was projected to bring in more than $300,000 in 2010. Meanwhile, marijuana supporters have taken the first official step toward putting the legalization question directly to California voters. A trio of Northern California criminal defense attorneys on Wednesday submitted a pot legalization measure to the state attorney general’s office, which must provide an official summary before supporters can begin gathering signatures. About 443,000 signatures are necessary to place The Tax, Regulate and Control Cannabis Act on the November 2010 ballot. The measure would repeal all state and local laws that criminalize marijuana.
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Wire Editor: Cassandra J. Carlson
News
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Briefs
charles dharapak associated press
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor greets her mother Celina Sotomayor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday prior to the start of her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her brother Juan Luis Sotomayor looks on in the background.
Sotomayor sidesteps on abortion, guns in grilling Julie Hirshfeld Davis associated press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor determinedly sidestepped volleys of Republican questions on abortion and gun rights Wednesday, keeping her demeanor cool and her opinions mostly private as she neared the end of a marathon Senate grilling on the road to all but sure confirmation. After two long days of questioning by Judiciary Committee senators, Sotomayor had yet to make a slip — certainly not the gaffe that even Republicans concede would be necessary to derail her nomination to be the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the high court. She was due back for still more questioning on Thursday. The appeals court judge, 55, avoided weighing in on any major issue that could come before her as a justice, instead using legal doctrine, carefully worded deflections and even humor to ward off efforts to pin her down. Appearing more at ease in the witness chair, Sotomayor defused a tense exchange on gun rights by joking about shooting a GOP critic and charmed Democratic supporters with nostalgic praise for fictional attorney Perry Mason. Republicans, frustrated in their attempts to undercut President Barack Obama’s first high court choice, said they were still worried Sotomayor would bring bias and a political agenda to the bench. “It’s muddled, confusing, backtracking on issue after issue,” complained Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel. “I frankly am a bit disappointed in the lack of clarity and consistency in her answers.” Her rulings — except for a muchdebated reverse discrimination case — have not shed much light on her positions either, though she is consid-
ered unlikely to disturb the Supreme Court balance in replacing generally liberal Justice David Souter. On abortion rights for example, Sotomayor has not ruled on any case that squarely confronts the issue. As an appeals court judge she dismissed a challenge to the so-called global gag rule on U.S. foreign aid, deciding against an abortion rights group. But in her opinion she used the phrases “anti-abortion” and “pro-choice,” typically used by abortion rights supporters. The hearings are expected to continue Thursday with more questions for Sotomayor and testimony from outside witnesses. A vote by the full Senate to confirm her is expected in early August, time enough to allow her to don the robes of a justice before a scheduled hearing on Sept. 9 on a case involving federal campaign finance law. The cavernous hearing room on Capitol Hill was filled for a third straight day, and tourists waited in line outside for their few moments to witness history. Among the audience members sat Frank Ricci, a white New Haven, Conn., firefighter whose reverse discrimination claim was rejected by Sotomayor’s court panel. The Supreme Court overturned that ruling late last month, and Republicans plan to showcase Ricci on Thursday as part of their effort to portray her as a judge who has let her biases trump the law. On Wednesday, Sotomayor declined repeatedly to respond to questions designed to elicit her personal and legal views about a woman’s right to end a pregnancy, saying she couldn’t address it in the abstract and wouldn’t do so in any specific way since the issue is likely to come before the court. The Supreme Court in 1992 “reaffirmed the core holding of Roe v. Wade that a woman has a constitutional right to terminate her preg see Sotomayor, page 4
State
National
International
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Two 19-year-olds are in custody and an arrest warrant has been issued for a third teen in connection with a suspected gang shooting at a Santa Cruz apartment complex. Santa Cruz police spokesman Zach Friend said officers used tips from community members to arrest Cesar Julio Serrano Marquez and Anthony Ponce after Monday’s shooting of a 23-year-old man. Marquez was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and a gang charge, while Ponce was booked on gang charges. Police are still looking for 18year-old Felipe Delgado. They believe he fired at the victim as he ran through the complex trying to escape the attack.
NEW YORK (AP) — A 17year-old mimicking Brad Pitt’s “Fight Club” character, who plans attacks on corporate America, was arrested for masterminding a predawn blast outside a Starbucks Coffee shop on Memorial Day, police said Wednesday. Kyle Shaw was arrested Tuesday night on charges of arson, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. He was awaiting arraignment Wednesday and it wasn’t clear whether he had an attorney. A message left at his home was not immediately returned.
KABUL (AP) — July is shaping to be the deadliest month of the Afghan war for U.S.-led international forces, with the number killed already matching the highest fullmonth toll of the nearly eight-year conflict, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press. As of Wednesday, at least 46 international troops, including 24 Americans, had been killed in Afghanistan this month, according to statements by the U.S. military and the NATO command.That matches the tolls for the two previous deadliest months — June and August of 2008. The rate of deaths in July — about three a day — is approaching some of the highest levels of the Iraq war.
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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Jurors recommended a life sentence Wednesday for Jesse James Hollywood for orchestrating the kidnap-murder of a 15year-old boy that inspired the movie “Alpha Dog.” Jurors deliberated about two days before recommending life without the possibility of parole instead of a death sentence. Superior Court Judge Brian Hill is scheduled to formally sentence Hollywood Oct. 21.
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•••
WASHINGTON (AP) — A chaotic scene unfolded near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday after police shot and killed an armed man in what authorities described as a routine rush hour traffic stop that turned deadly. U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Schneider said the unidentified 35-year-old man refused to stop at the checkpoint about two blocks north of the Capitol complex. The man drove the wrong way down a street and struck two officers with his car — one on foot and the other on a motorcycle, Schneider said. The two officers received minor injuries.
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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — State TV reported 168 people were killed when a passenger plane crashed Wednesday in northwest Iran. Iranian Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh had told state television that 153 passengers and 15 crewmembers were aboard the Russian-made Caspian Airlines jet that had been headed from Tehran to the Armenian capital Yerevan. Footage from the scene on staterun Press TV shows a deep trench smashed into an agricultural field by the impact, littered with smoking wreckage.
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Wildlife advocates claim off-roaders endanger plover
reed saXoN associated press
Environmentalists want dune buggies banned from Oceano Dunes because they are claimed to be a danger to the bird above, a snowy plover. PISMO BEACH, Calif. (AP) — At one Central Coast beach, birds and buggies aren’t mixing. Advocates for the threatened Western snowy plover want off-road vehicles totally banned from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, saying the dune buggies and motorcycles are a danger to the tiny bird. Environmentalists say bird monitors have observed plovers crushed and terrorized by vehicles. For more than 10 years, lawsuits and other measures have cut down off-road areas used for recreation by thousands of acres. Fencing now borders the plover nesting areas. Still, as many as 40,000 visitors turn the dunes near Pismo Beach into an
off-road mecca each summer weekend. John Hodgson, parts manager at an ATV rental chain that thrives on park traffic, said employees go to City Council meetings to fight for beach off-roading. For others, keeping the few remaining dunes open is personal. “I’d rather have the riding area, where people can grow with their families and have fun, rather than some bird that we’ve never even seen out here,” said George Lopez, a visitor who has been coming to the park for a dozen years. The California budget squeeze is forcing closure of some state parks. Funded by gasoline taxes, however, Oceano Dunes is not on the closure list.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
News Sotomayor continued from page 4
nancy in certain cases,” Sotomayor told Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., adding that the ruling said the court should consider whether any state regulation “has an undue burden on the woman’s constitutional right.” But she refused to be drawn out by Coburn, a leading abortionrights foe, on whether a late-term abortion would be appropriate, or whether technological advances that allow an early-term fetus to survive should have any bearing on the legal standard for ending a pregnancy. “All I can say to you is what the court’s done and the standard that the court has applied,” Sotomayor said. “We don’t make policy choices on the court; we look at the case before us.” Earlier, Sen. John Cornyn, RTexas, asked how the Obama administration could have known her position on the issue. “I was asked no question by anyone including the president about my views on any specific legal issue,” she said. She was no more forthcoming on the issue when pressed by an abortion rights supporter, Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. Asked whether the 1992 ruling reaffirming Roe was a kind of “super” precedent, she didn’t respond directly. On her second day fielding questions, Sotomayor sidestepped when Cornyn asked whether she stood by or disavowed a controversial 2001 remark that a “wise Latina” judge would often make better decisions
charles dharapak associated press
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor talks with Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking Republican, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday. than a white male. She said she stood by her explanation Tuesday that the words were a rhetorical flourish gone awry. Cornyn persisted, asking whether she would regret it if her audience of students understood her to be saying that the quality of a judge depended on race, gender or ethnicity. “I would regret that,” she said of any misunderstanding of remarks that have caused more pre-confirmation controversy than any other issue. Sotomayor, appearing more relaxed on the third day of nationally televised Senate hearings, shared a few light moments with her interrogators while fielding questions on serious issues. Asked by Coburn whether the
Second Amendment confers a right to personal self-defense, Sotomayor posed a hypothetical in which the senator threatened her with bodily harm and she went home to get a gun and shoot him. “I don’t want to suggest I am, by the way,” Sotomayor said, to laughter from the audience and Coburn. Coburn responded with his own jibe: “You’ll have lots of ‘splainin’ to do.’” His remark echoed a refrain often heard on a 1950s situation comedy, “I Love Lucy,” in which the main character’s Cuban-born husband Ricky Ricardo would often say with exasperation, “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do.” —Associated Press Writers David Espo and Ann Sanner contributed to this report.
WORD ON THE STREET “Do you think the Senate will confirm Judge Sotomayor into the U.S. Supreme Court?” “As far as I know, she is the first Hispanic lady to be appointed to the Supreme Court. I think she’ll be confirmed because this country is getting more diverse. ” –Nestor Guitierrez, microbiology senior
“I really don’t know. I haven’t been keeping up so I’ve only seen her in the headlines. I couldn’t say either way.” -Carrie Jordan, political science senior
“I think they will confim her because the Democrats are the majority party.” -Phil Pinedo, Poly Prints manager
“I think so because she’s a fresh face and she seems to be making headlines.” -Gerard Siazon, general engineering sophomore
COMPILED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY CASSANDRA CARLSON
Arts editor: Krizia Torres, Arts Designer: Amber Kiwan mustangdailynews@gmail.com
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Thursday, July 16, 2009 www.mustangdaily.net
ARTS
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Charity keeps daughter’s spirit alive Daniel Triassi MUSTANG DAILY
Perhaps the clearest view of Rita Goehner’s legacy of love can be found through the double doors of her family’s country home. Inside, one can’t help but sense the endearment emanating from colorful works of art, framed pictures of Rita and her friends and multiple collages filled with memories. In addition to keeping the memories of Rita alive with these keepsakes, the Goehner family has turned tragedy around in the form of a nonprofit charity called Rita’s Rainbows. On July 23, 2008, Rita’s charity was approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit. Rita’s Rainbows vows that 100 percent of funds raised go directly to those in need. Their officers receive no compensation, enabling children to get maximum benefit from donations. The impetus for their charity was the death of 16-year-old Goehner in a car accident in April 2006. “My mom has really been the driving force behind this getting off the ground and being successful. We all pitch in but she really has done an amazing job of getting a lot done in a very short period of time,” Rita’s sister Sara Goehner said. Aside from Rita’s loving and compassionate personality, her mother
Cassy remembers the quirky mundane moments that made her daughter unique. At Starbucks “she created a drink where all the boxes were checked. She never gave her real name either, because she joked she didn’t want to give them her soul,” Cassy said. Like Goehner herself, Rita’s Rainbows is distinct and different in its approach to helping children. Thinking outside the box, creativity is a cornerstone of their charity. The organization keeps Goehner’s spirit alive by the type of donations they bestow. A few weeks after Rita’s Rainbows was approved as a non-profit, Goehner’s grandmother died. The Goehner family requested that donations be made to Rita’s Rainbows in lieu of flowers, marking the start to Rita’s Rainbows. Goehner had an expressive imagination. In March 2009, rather than donating plain pillows to the Hospice Partners Bereavement, Rita’s Rainbows opted for pillows that transform into stuffed animals. Goehner celebrated and cherished life. After her accident her parents contacted Photobucket, a photo sharing Web site, for her password. Her password was “liv4today.” Rita’s Rainbows has helped better the lives of those less fortunate through the Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter.
“Untitled”
Love selflessly Dive into the unknown All you have is today Care about people Who don’t care back And hope that they will be okay
Be yourself And no one else And know If you feel as if you’re in an empty room Arms stretched out I’ll be there to hug you
-a poem by Rita Goehner
Hundreds lined the streets for Harry Potter premiere
laUreN raBaINo mustang daily
More than 800 people lined the streets of downtown San Luis Obispo Tuesday to watch the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the sixth film in the series. Decked out in impressive costumes and huddled under blankets, some Potter fans waited in line as early as 6:20 a.m. Go online to mustangdaily.net for a full review of the premiere and video of the line.
daNIel trIassI mustang daily
Various child pictures of Rita including her student of the week award. Each photograph captures a special moment. The charity has donated children’s cots and hosted a party to gather and donate new blankets, toys, games and arts and craft supplies. “Rita’s Rainbows has gone over and beyond covering our homeless children’s basic needs. They continue to come back and say, ‘what else can we do to help?’” Shawn Ison, Maxine Lewis Memorial Homeless Shelter Program Manager said.
Goehner was an avid artist. In the face of increasing school cutbacks families are being stretched even further to provide an arts education for their children. Rita’s Rainbows donated funds to help children in need with full and partial art camp scholarships at The Art Center. “There are feel good moments that come unexpectedly in this kind of work. Moments that remind us
why we provide the services that we do. Moments that reinforce our commitment to public service in the nonprofit sector,” executive director of the Art Center Karen Kile said. “Talking with Cassy Goehner about how Rita enjoyed coming to the Art Center for summer art camps and what her family is doing to help other children was one of those special moments.”
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July 16, 2009 Volume LXXIII, No. 4 ©2009 Mustang Daily “If God was Warren Baker...”
opinion/editorial Thursday, June 16, 2009
Editor in chief: Emilie Egger Managing Editor: Alex Kacik
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Summer parking on campus should be free The dog days of summer are officially upon us. I know that because I spend 15 minutes sweating on the walk to and from campus during the warm afternoons. If you’re wondering why it takes me so long to get to my building when parking is so abundant all around campus right now, the answer is simple — I refuse to pay the outrageous $115 for a parking pass during the summer quarter. Call me a cheapskate if you want, but I simply don’t have a hundred bucks to spend on something that in my opinion should be free or at least close to it. Let’s be honest, Cal Poly is a ghost town during the summer.There’s no one here! When I walk onto campus I’m lucky to see five people walking around. Even the notoriously crowded off-campus parking spots are mostly empty. It’s a simple decision of supply and demand. During the school year students pay for the privilege of parking on campus and (supposedly) beating the rush and having the convenience of being close to the classroom. While we know that’s not exactly true, that’s another story for another day. Nonetheless, it’s understandable that someone would pay that kind of money to avoid all that hassle. Yet during the summer there is no hassle. According to the most recent Cal Poly summer census info released in 2006, fewer than 4,000 students enrolled in summer quarter. Compare that to the most recently available fall census data in 2007, where nearly 20,000 students were enrolled. Based on that information it’s
safe to say that the summer crowd is about 20 percent the size of the normal school year. Even if every single enrolled student bought a pass and parked on campus at the exactly same time, still nearly half of the school’s reported 7,785 parking spots would remain empty. So why doesn’t the school charge 20 percent of what we pay during the normal school year for a parking pass? The answer given would surely have something to do with the California State University system’s nearly $600 million debt. But is overcharging for summer school parking really going to get us out of such a gigantic debt? If 4,000 students bought a parking permit every summer every year we still wouldn’t climb out of debt until about July of the year 3279. But since we all know the world is ending in 2012, that’s just not going to cut it.
Look Cal Poly, I know you need the money, but so do I. While my student loan debt isn’t going to quite reach the $584 million mark, it sure feels like it. In two years of not parking on campus here I’ve saved around $900. You could have gotten half of that money if I didn’t feel like you were bending me over for the ‘privilege’ of trying to find a parking space near my classroom then settling for the one that’s another 15 minute walk away. So until you make these permits more reasonable, I’ll just be one more student that shows up on campus sweaty and disgusting — and trust me, no one wants that. Scott Silvey is a journalism senior, the Mustang Daily sports editor and beer critic.
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“This is absolute nonsense. Technology should be embraced in classrooms, but communication devices only offer distraction. ‘Teachers can learn from students. They can ask students to verify information via their cell phones – from dates, to events, to speeches – any reference at all. Professors can even send questions, reminders or homework assignments via text. Using phones keeps students on task and provides them with a learning opportunity.’ Who in their right mind would use their cellphone to verify information? Have you tried scouring a professional or educational journal network? They are hard enough to navigate on a full computer let alone a miniature web browser best suited to Facebook. What is wrong with asking students to spend a little time out of class doing fact-checking and researching? As students, you should do this anyway. Being skeptical and not taking lectures for fact without verification is key to the learning process. However, there is not nearly enough time to dig through Wikipedia, check it sources, question the teacher and still take notes and understand your lecture. Also, I get enough useless garbage electronically. I don’t need a teacher to remind me that something is due through a text message. I’m 22 years old, I am fully capable of managing my time. If something must be communicated outside of class, an email is much simpler and better for archival purposes anyway.” — Todd Wilkinson Response to “Txting Taboo: Should it be allowed in classrooms?”
Research enters realm of Hogwarts This week on the big screen, the world will be watching the latest adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s bestselling "Harry Potter" series. Defying reality, Harry dons a magic invisibility cloak to disappear and sneak around Hogwarts undetected. The dream of making objects invisible has always crossed the imaginations of humanity and is seen throughout works of fiction. Researchers around the world are chasing down the invisibility theory and developing models to create a technology that makes an object become invisible. Several of these building blocks have come from the work of Graeme Milton, a professor of mathematics at the University of Utah. In 1994, Milton began his cloaking research using applied mathematics in Australia. His concept is simple, assuming you know biology, calculus, engineering and physics. Milton’s superlens research describes the ability to hide or “cloak” an object through the manipulation
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of light. Rather than the cloaking region being contained within the device, Milton suggests that ability lies outside the device. According to the National Science Foundation, the superlens theory “cloaks a nearby object by making light behave in an unusual way. Instead of having a positive refractive index that makes light bend in the same way as it does when passing from air into a medium like glass or water, the superlens has a negative refractive index that in essence causes light to reverse and travel backwards. When an object is placed next to the superlens, the light bouncing off the object is canceled out by the light reflecting off the superlens, rendering the object invisible. Milton said the phenomenon is somewhat analogous to the noise cancellation headphones passengers wear on airplanes.” Although the research has a long way to go before invisibility devices can be applied in real-world situations, scientists
are now testing the theory. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed opticalcamouflage technology while scientists at the University of California-Berkeley have created a “carpet cloak” from nanostructured silicon that conceals the presence of objects placed under it from optical detection. Technology will continue to surprise us and achieve things we never thought possible. We won’t need to be a wizard to become invisible. The invisibility application and other creations from science fiction novels will continue to come increasingly faster as we continue dreaming and developing the technologies to make them a reality. It’s nice to know there are people at the University doing such interesting work. Bravo to those at the university, such as Milton, who put the University on the map. Liz Carlston is a columnist for the Daily Utah Cronicle at the University of Utah
“This is totally a shame! Tons of people pick up the NYT to read. If the campus truely didn’t want to get rid of it, they could have held fundraisers or at least asked for community help before just agreeing to not carry it anymore. I don’t understand why they cut back things that set the campus apart while still paying President Baker so much. The students are what runs the college along with the teachers. It’s ridiculous that this campus manages its money in such a horrible manner. With all the alumni around they could easily get money for things like keeping the NYT on campus. It’s all about asking people. But unfortunately our school has gotten lazier and more restrictive over time. It’s ridiculous.” — Melissa Response to “NY Times ends campus distribution” NOTE: The Mustang Daily features select comments that are written in response to articles posted online. Though not all the responses are printed, the Mustang Daily prints comments that are coherent and foster intelligent discussion on a given subject.
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UCI, Cal, UCSB mark 2009 men’s soccer schedule MUstaNG daiLY staFF report
ANDREW SANTOS-JOHNSON Wes Feighner (Left) of Cal Poly takes a shot in front of a capacity crowd of 11,075 in Spanos Stadium when UCSB visited last fall.
Fresh off arguably their most successful season at the Division I level, the Cal Poly men’s soccer team released its 2009 season schedule Monday afternoon. The Mustangs, who won their first Division I postseason game 1-0 over UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year, will kick off their season Aug. 26 by hosting San Diego State in an exhibition match. Cal Poly will compete in two preconference tournaments next season including the Cal Legacy Classic where they will take on Cal and Stanford. The Golden Bears advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament last year before falling to national champion Maryland. They will also visit the Pacific Northwest to battle Portland and Washington in the Husky Fever Classic. Other notable games include an Oct. 7 visit to rival UC Santa Barbara and a Nov. 4 return matchup of the two conference foes. Last season the two teams combined to draw a sellout crowd of 11,075 to Alex G. Spanos Stadium, making it the third-highest attended regular season collegiate match in history. The Gauchos, perennial Big West Conference frontrunners, defeated Cal Poly 1-0 in double overtime in a game nationally televised on Fox Soccer Channel. Cal Poly will also get another crack at UC Irvine, the team that
Fullerton named preseason All-American MUstaNG daiLY staFF report
Cal Poly senior safety David Fullerton was named to the 2009 Sports Network Preseason Football Championship Subdivision All-American Third Team on Tuesday. In his three years as a Mustang, Fullerton has intercepted seven passes, returning three of four touchdowns. Fullerton had what could be considered the defensive highlight of the season last year when he intercepted a pitchout in his own red zone and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown against Southern Utah. He has recorded 72 career tackles (50 solo) including five tackles for lost yardage and two sacks. Fullerton also has recorded three forced fumbles and 15 pass breakups. He helped lead the Mustangs to 8-3 record and a Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth last season.
Fullerton is joined on the AllAmerican team by three other Great West Conference players: junior wide receiver Tysson Poots of Southern Utah (Third Team), senior defensive tackle Ko Quaye of South Dakota (Third Team) and senior punter Trevor Ward of Southern Utah (Second Team). Poots caught 16 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown while Ward averaged 27 yards on five punts in a 69-41 loss to Cal Poly last year.
Quaye had three tackles (one solo) in a 49-22 loss to the Mustangs last season. The Mustangs are ranked No. 12 in the preseason Any Given Saturday poll. Defending national champion Richmond is No. 1, followed by Appalachian State and Montana. Cal Poly will open practice on Aug. 17 in preparation of their Sept. 12 season opener against Sacramento State at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
NICK CAMACHO
David Fullerton (29) intercepts a pass against Southern Utah last year. Fullerton was named to the preseason All-American team on Tuesday.
knocked them out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The teams will meet in Irvine on Oct. 21. If the Mustangs are to get back to the NCAA Tournament this year, they will have to do so without some key members from last season. Goalkeeper Eric Branagan-Franco was a member of the Big West Conference first team and also named conference Goalkeeper of the Year last year. Defensive midfielder Anton Peterlin also finished his eligibility last season. Peterlin recently made his Everton debut in a preseason loss to Bury last Friday. The former Cal Poly star is the first former Mustang to play professionally for an English Premiere League side. While Cal Poly will miss several players, they will look to some returning faces to further improve on their game. Junior forward David Zamora, a former conference Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American, was fourth in the Big West last season with eight goals. Zamora is already sixth on the Cal Poly alltime goals list and needs just one to tie Ryshiem Henderson for fifth. Sophomore midfielder Wes Feighner and defender Patrick Sigler will return looking to build on their successes as freshman. Feighner scored four times for Cal Poly and trailed only Zamora with 38 shots while Sigler was named co-Freshman of the Year and a
conference first team member. Cal Poly head coach Paul Holocher will return for his fourth season after guiding the Mustangs to an 11-6-6 record last season. He will welcome in his third full recruiting class that includes Fresno standout forward Paul Islas. Islas was named the No. 34 recruit in the country by TopDrawSoccer.com and has scored at least 20 goals the last two years at the high school level. The Mustangs will officially kick off their season hosting UNLV at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1.
SOCCER 2009 SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 AT
OCTOBER 4, 2009 OCTOBER 7, 2009 AT
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OCTOBER 21, 2009
UC IRVINE
NOVEMBER 4, 2009
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Plan for new Santa Clara stadium includes green roof Sudhin Thanawala associated press
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco 49ers have unveiled design details on their proposed $937 million stadium south of San Francisco that would seat 68,500 and include solar panels and a green roof, as they move forward with plans to relocate to the South Bay city of Santa Clara. Team officials presented the details Tuesday to the Santa Clara City Council, saying it would allow more fans to get closer to the field by expanding seating in the lower bowl. It would also bring the upper deck closer to the field by stacking suites and clubs on one side, instead of wrapping them around the facility. The stadium, scheduled to open in 2014, would accommodate up to 75,000 people for big events such as the Super Bowl. Whether the field at the new stadium would be grass or artificial turf has yet to be decided, 49ers spokesman Steve Fine said. “The goal of the design was to create a true community asset for the city of Santa Clara,” Fine said, noting that the stadium would also include more than 100,000-square-feet of meeting
space that could be used for other events. Santa Clara officials agreed to preliminary terms in June with the team for a stadium on part of the parking lot of the Great America Theme Park. The city would cover about 10 percent of the project’s costs under that deal. The bulk of the remaining funding would come from the 49ers and the National Football League. A citywide ballot measure on the stadium proposal is expected to go before voters next year. Santa Clara city spokesman Dan Beerman said the presentation was well received. City officials are considering March 2, April 13 or June 8 as possible dates for the ballot measure, he said. An environmental impact report is expected in the next few weeks. The 49ers announced in 2006 that they had abandoned a decadelong attempt to build a stadium and a commercial and residential development on Candlestick Point, their San Francisco home since 1971, and were committed to moving 45 miles south to Santa Clara. Team officials cite transportation challenges and the prospect of a decade of construction for their decision to give up on Candlestick Point.